Clemson Defeats Virginia in Four

Clemson Defeats Virginia in Four Sets

The Clemson Tigers (14-10, 2-10 ACC) lost the opening set against the Virginia Cavaliers (10-12, 3-9 ACC) but rallied strongly to win the next three sets, finishing with a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 28-26) in Charlottesville.

Match Summary

Virginia got off to a strong start with an early five-point run. Clemson then narrowed the gap to two points thanks to kills from junior transfer Khaya Gordon, as well as Mia Moore and Mia McGrath. The Cavaliers regained a five-point lead by the media timeout. After an ace from Claire Luoma and a kill from Nil Okur, Clemson trimmed the deficit to one, but Virginia held on to take the first set 25-22.

In the second set, Clemson responded quickly, scoring three points from kills by McGrath and Gordon and a solo block by Kate Hansen. Blocks were crucial, with Okur contributing two block assists along with Moore and Gordon, helping Clemson build a five-point lead and forcing Virginia to call a timeout. The Tigers maintained control and won the set 25-20 after a final kill from McGrath.

The momentum continued in the third set as Clemson went on multiple scoring runs, including a four-point streak highlighted by Luoma’s second ace of the match, securing the lead and the set at 25-19.

Key Players and Highlights

Khaya Gordon led Clemson with 16 kills.
Mia McGrath and Mia Moore added 13 and 12 kills respectively.
Claire Luoma contributed two aces, both pivotal in shifting momentum.
Defensive efforts from Nil Okur and blocks from Kate Hansen helped maintain Clemson’s advantage in the middle sets.

"The Tigers pulled within one after an ace by Claire Luoma and a kill by Nil Okur, but despite cutting into the lead, Virginia didn’t relinquish it to take the opening set, 25-22."

"Blocks proved to be the name of the game in the second as Okur tacked on two block assists alongside Moore and Gordon to take a five-point lead and force Virginia to call timeout."

Clemson's resilience and balanced attack allowed them to overcome the initial setback and claim a crucial road victory.

Author’s summary: Clemson overcame an early deficit against Virginia with strong blocking and balanced offense, securing a competitive 3-1 road victory highlighted by key performances from Khaya Gordon and Mia McGrath.

Clemson University Athletics — 2025-11-03